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SANTIAGO, Chile: At last week’s Brazil Open, Singapore’s Li
Jiawei came close to winning her first Pro Tour title of 2008.
But the 26—year—old, ranked world No 8, came up short against
compatriot and top seed Wang Yuegu (No 6) in the women’s singles
final.
On Sunday, Li finally broke her duck with a 4—3 victory over
South Korea’s world No 16 Kim Kyung Ah in the singles final at the
US$98,000 ($133,500) Chile Open in Santiago.
Li had earlier defeated team—mate Feng Tianwei in the last four
and the progress of Singapore’s paddlers bodes well as the
countdown to the Olympics begins in earnest.
The recent victories at the two tournaments are vital to the
team’s preparations for the Beijing Olympics in August, according
to Singapore Table Tennis Association general manager, Jackie
Tay.
"The Pro Tour is part of a series of events in our training
calendar and we’re very pleased with the results by the team," said
Tay.
"Events like the Chile Open are more than just warm—up events as
players need to accumulate rankings points in the lead—up to the
Olympics as well.
"The players will be competing at other Pro Tour events in China
(May 14—18), Japan (May 21—25), Korea (May 29—Jun 1) and Singapore
(Jun 5—8) from now till August."
Li, the top seed at the Chile Open, had won four of her seven
previous encounters with world No 16 Kim, but the South Korean did
triumph in their biggest face—off, the bronze medal playoff at the
2004 Athens Olympics.
The Singaporean was also keen to avenge her loss in their last
meeting, at last September’s Women’s Team event at the China Mobile
Asian Championships.
It was nip and tuck all the way and with the final balanced
evenly at 3—3 (6—11, 11—9, 9—11, 11—5, 5—11, 11—7), Li stayed calm
and focused in the rubber set to win 11—7, clinching the US$12,000
singles crown.
There was doubles joy for Singapore in the men’s event, as Yang
Zi and Gao Ning teamed up to also clinch their first Pro Tour crown
of 2008, defeating Hong Kong’s Cheung Yuk and Li Ching 4—1 in the
final.
Singapore’s women’s doubles pair of Li and Sun Bei Bei came
unstuck, though, going down 4—2 to Hong Kong’s Jiang Huajun and Tie
Yana in the final. — TODAY